Solar panel puts you in charge

The solar chargers are ideal for any boat and are a simple, effective way of ensuring batteries are topped up. Photo / Supplied

An innovative new solar charger ensures batteries are always topped up.

It has been something of a perennial problem: the best time to charge a boat's batteries is often while the boat is securely tied up in the marina or safely resting on a mooring or on a trailer.

However conventional chargers are not that easy to use when a boat is snugly covered up and, until now, there has been nowhere practical to fix a solar charger.

The good news is that, in true Kiwi fashion, Sam Paterson and his Mt Eden based company, Cover Systems International, have come up with what they believe is a simple, effective and affordable way of solving the problem.

The company's innovative product is based on a small, flexible solar panel.

This is either pre-fitted to a new Cover Systems boat cover or sold separately so that it can be retro-fitted to an existing cover.

According to Paterson, the system provides roughly double the output of similar-sized solar panels and is suitable for both boats and recreational vehicles.

"It is also ideal for PWCs, trucks and boat tractors that see only occasional use."

The power from the solar panel charges the battery through either a reverse current cigarette lighter socket connector or through a lead connected directly to the battery's terminals.

"Our system effectively does away with mains-based chargers, which are expensive and often cumbersome," says Paterson.

"Instead we use the sun's free energy to charge and maintain batteries while keeping the boat or vehicle fully protected from the weather."

Regular stories of journeys ruined by flat batteries motivated the company to create the charger.

Paterson says the company's motivation in creating the new solar battery charger was the regular stories they encounter of journeys ruined by flat batteries.

"Far too often we hear stories of owners preparing their boat for the summer, only to find their batteries are flat and need replacing.

"Batteries are expensive and are made to be used regularly so, by trickle charging like this, owners increase the life of their batteries." he says.

Paterson says there are other benefits, too.

"Safety is always a key theme on smaller boats, so many trailer boat owners are installing these units on their canopies and biminis so they can run or charge their cellphones, GPSs and the like in an emergency."

The unit basically consists of a 6W/450mA flexible solar panel; a 1.5A/12V German-made solar charge controller and a cigarette socket connector or lead with alligator clips.

Paterson says the units are water, humidity and UV proof and are designed to maintain a battery indefinitely.

The solar unit is $169, including GST and delivered anywhere in New Zealand.

SOLAR POWERED BATTERY CHARGER

* Advantages: Free power from sun keeps batteries fully charged

* Attaches to: Custom-made boat cover or existing cover

* Suitable for: Boats, RVs, PWCs, trucks, boat tractors

* Price: $169, incl GST & delivery in NZ (does not include cover)

* More info: www.coversystems.co.nz.